Scroll Saw Puzzle Patterns

I recently found these free scroll saw puzzle patterns from 2by6 and liked them so much I thought I would share the links:

Here is the link for the train, elephant, camel, duck and dinosaur puzzles:
http://www.2by6.com/woodworking/new-scroll-saw-puzzle-patterns/

And here is the link for the hippo, pig, turtle, chicken and teddy bear:
http://www.2by6.com/woodworking/project-plans/5-handmade-3d-toy-puzzle-patterns-for-kids/

I am not sure if items make from these patterns can be sold, so please check with the owner of the website if you want to use the patterns for commercial purposes.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Projects

Let's face it. No matter how careful you try to be, sometimes a project can be damaged while it is being created, or sometimes the end results are not what you expected. The question then becomes "Can this project be saved?" Here are some examples from my recent projects. The pattern for the hound dog is from Snazzy Toys by Toymaker Press:

Here is the finished hound dog. Can you see what went wrong?

Yes, he is missing a chunk of his tail. The hound dog was cut from oak, which is notorious for breaking along the grain. I was using a piece of scrap, and therefore wasn't able to align the most fragile part, the tail, so the grain would run vertically and therefore be less likely to break. When it snapped during sanding, I could have scrapped the project, but decided instead to round the tail and go with it. The nice thing about scroll sawing is that once the pattern is removed, nobody else has to know if you strayed from the line.

Here is another example. I poured black epoxy for this rhinoceros and didn't like how it looked. There wasn't enough contrast with the dark wood, and the epoxy shrank a bit while curing, so it was not level with the wood. So, I decided to add some epoxy and used gray instead:

There are still hints of the black epoxy around the edges, which gives a unique and interesting look to the finished key chain.

Fused glass projects can be very challenging because the glass doesn't always snap along the score lines, color can change during the fusing process, and parts of the design can shift while fusing. The first fused glass bowl I sold was a salvaged accident. I broke the base circle for the bowl and tried to rejoin it during the fuse. It was mostly successful, but two small holes remained along the break. Fortunately, my mistake was another person's art. Here is a picture of a fused glass pendant which shifted during fusing. I sawed and ground the damaged areas and fire polished in the kiln, therefore saving it from the scrap pile:

Beaded jewelry design lends itself well to corrective action. If a project doesn't turn out as expected, or if it doesn't resonate with buyers, it can be reworked or most of the pieces can be reused in other projects. Here is a necklace I recently remade. I just didn't like how it turned out (first picture):

I am much happier with the reworked necklace:

I hope my examples will encourage you to try to save some of your own damaged or disappointing projects. The results are often quite satisfying.

What is This Wood?

I'm really bad about keeping my scroll sawing lumber organized. I buy a piece I like, sometimes without a particular project in mind, and add it to the stash. Over time, I forget what I have or sometimes what species of wood it is. I also scrounge for scraps and cut offs, and have bought boxes of assorted scrap. So, I'm often faced with the question "what is this wood?" when I go to list an item I have made for my Etsy shop. Here's an example:

 This beautifully grained dark brown wood has a waxy feel to it and has a strong fruity odor when it is cut, which reminds me of the odor from canarywood.

Here is another example:

I believe this is poplar, but it doesn't have the greenish tint characteristic of poplar. It could be a type of maple, but it cuts so much faster than maple and the board isn't as dense or heavy as my other maple boards.

While trying to identify my wood, I came across this website, which has a wealth of information on wood lumber:
http://www.wood-database.com

Unfortunately, it hasn't helped me identify the wood used for these projects, but I have learned a lot from it, and have identified several other boards. So, if you recognize the wood in these pictures, let me know!

Wonderful Etsy Bug Treasuries!

I really love insect art and was recently featured in two wonderfully buggy Etsy treasuries. Thanks so much to Ferncliffe and morethandivine for these beautiful treasuries:

'Ode to Entomology' by Ferncliffe

The study of insects.

4x6 Cicada Pair f2images $8.00	VINTAGE Mushroom Taupe ... GetReadySetGO $74.95	Decorative Golden Desk ... moonbeamslilac... $75.00	Entomology - Centipede ... HereInSmallTow... $12.00
Antique Book - Field B... Suthnaccents $95.00	Set of 2 Butterfly Nets... kathyscraftroo... $4.00	Insect - Mixed Media PR... sushipot $48.00	Beetle Insect Earrings ... OohLookItsARab... $18.00
1960's bronze silk ... Thrush $118.00	Mantis 2 Hand-Cut Paper... papercutsbyjoe $45.00	Lepidopterology Ring theloveletter $14.00	Mud Flat Clutch LaTouchables $45.00
creepy crawly cockroach... foldedpigs $15.00	Diary Of A Naturalist -... CaptainCat $350.00	Glass Apothecary Jar. C... GallivantingGi... $16.00	butterfly photo print -... ZoiShop $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'It's a bug's life ~ bugs not to be afraid of' by morethandivine

Collection of all things crawly!

song of summer necklace... bellehibou $23.00	DRAGONFLY Pink round sc... FyreflyHollow $6.99	Insect Specimen Locket ... tinatarnoff $45.00	Steampunk Ring Buzzing ... CompassRoseDes... $26.50
Black Fly - Vintage DIC... memorydust $7.00	Antique Insect Buttons ... tesl8 $5.00	Dragonfly Earrings Rubb... OohLookItsARab... $18.00	Fly patch housefly punk... SteamPatchComp... $5.00
SALE - Keychain with Ha... BHBKidstyle $6.00	Best Sellers REAL Insec... SiamHandMade $39.00	Queen Bee 3.5 inch Pock... RunningInPlace $4.00	Linen Tea Towel - Bewar... luxfordst $15.00
Butterfly (handmade bu... buttonsbyrobin $13.50	Butterflies and Purple ... zillows $20.00	Be The Change - Dragonf... EarlyBright $5.00	Ladybug on Postcard Art... TwentySix7 $10.95

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.